While British Columbians are accustomed to paying the highest prices for housing in the country, they also appear to be paying the most for used cars.
The findings are from Clutch, which claims to be Canada’s largest online retailer for used cars. Clutch says that B.C. also saw the biggest spike in used truck prices in Canada last month.
According to Clutch, B.C. is seeing a seven per cent spike in truck prices, the highest in Canada, while electric vehicle demand is holding firm despite a recent announcement that the provincial EV rebate program will be paused as of tomorrow, May 15.
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According to the Clutch report, which is based on April prices, B.C. saw the highest truck price increase in the country, “with average prices rising 3.5 per cent month-over-month and seven per cent year-over-year, far exceeding the national trend.”
“The west-to-east pricing trend holds steady across all major vehicle segments — whether you’re shopping for a car, SUV, or truck,” Clutch’s report states.
“Western provinces like British Columbia and Alberta continue to see the highest average prices, while Quebec and the Atlantic provinces remain the most budget-friendly, especially for smaller vehicles.”
One reason for the spike in used truck prices is what Clutch calls the “rise in electrified truck options,” like the Ford F-150 Lightning, Tundra Hybrid, and, of course, the Tesla Cybertruck.
Looking at prices for other car types in the province, regular used car prices increased by one per cent compared to the previous month and fell 1.3 per cent year over year.
Used SUV prices also saw the biggest spike in B.C. compared to the rest of the country, with a 2.3 per cent increase month over month. In general, B.C. has the highest average prices for all car types on Clutch, which are well above the national average, just like with housing.
Clutch
Overall, the report highlights that average used car prices rose across the country to $33,082, up 0.22 per cent month over month and 0.54 per cent year over year, marking the first annual increase since 2023.
Have you been shopping around for used cars in B.C.? Does the data in this report align with what you’ve been seeing in the market? Let us know in the comments.